The present invention relates to postoperative cryokinetic therapy apparatus and more particularly to the apparatus by which a cold applicator may be selectively applied to a preselected position on the face of a patient following oral and maxillofacial surgery and retained in that position during the patient's exercise of the jaw muscles.
The beneficial effects of cold therapy are well known and cold therapy has been applied to the head. Such cold applicators generally take the form of an ice bag placed atop the head and secured around the head as in the Rioux U.S. Pat. No. 1,870,143 dated Aug. 2, 1932, secured by a string or the like beneath the chin as shown in the Finkelstein U.S. Pat. No. 1,127,221 dated Feb. 2, 1915, or by a combination of a single vertical and horizontal strap as in the Rioux, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 1,511,175 dated Oct. 14, 1924.
It is also known to apply cold to the forehead by a horizontal strap as shown in the Augustine U.S. Pat. No. 1,345,906 dated July 6, 1920, or to the neck area by means of collars, e.g., held in place by a single head strap as in the Glennan U.S. Pat. No. 1,910,328, dated May 23, 1933 or by two vertical straps as in the Reach U.S. Pat. No. 2,071,706 dated Feb. 23, 1937.
It is more difficult to apply cold to the side of a patient's head, and the known apparatus therefor have included an ice bag configured to fit around the ear to the rear thereof with a single under-the-chin strap such as shown in the Meinecke U.S. Pat. No. 919,614 dated Apr. 27, 1909. Attempts to make such bags adjustable, and to apply the cold therapy to the areas of the jaw forward of the ear include a vertically adjustable harness over the top of the patient's head and under the patient's chin, the straps having multiple openings along the length thereof to retain an ice bag in a selected location as shown in the Baker U.S. Pat. No. 3,491,761 dated Jan. 27, 1970.
More recent attempts to selectively position a cold pack on the face of a patient have included elastic bandages covering a substantial part of the patient's head and secured both around the patient's neck and over the patient's head. Velcro straps are positioned on the outside surface of the elastic bandage so that a cold pack may be selectively secured to the bandage on the outside thereof as shown in the Brennan U.S. Pat. No. 4,190,054 dated Feb. 26, 1980.
None of the generally known apparatus provide the adjustability desired for postoperative cryokinetic therapy and generally do not provide for the location of the cold pack on side of the apparatus facing the patient. Moreover, movement of the patient's jaw is often unacceptably restricted and/or the device is uncomfortable, particularly during periods of long wear and jaw exercise.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to obviate these and other problems associated with known devices and to provide a postoperative cryokinetic therapy device which is comfortable to wear, selectively and easily positionable with the capability of long wear without discomfort, with removable cold packs.
These and many other objects and advantages will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art from the claims when read in connection with the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.